2026/01/25 SCRIPTURE REFLECTION
Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
- Jay Wagner-Yau Chapel, Choir Director
The readings for the Third Sunday of Ordinary Time invite us to reflect on how God enters places of darkness and division with a call that is both simple and demanding: repent, believe, and follow. Together, these scriptures reveal that God’s saving work often begins in unexpected places and asks for a response that reshapes our priorities, relationships, and sense of identity.
The first reading from Isaiah speaks to a people who have known suffering, loss, and exile. Zebulun and Naphtali were regions associated with defeat and marginalization, yet it is precisely there that Isaiah proclaims hope. “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.” This passage reminds us that God’s light does not wait for perfect conditions. It shines where life feels heavy, confused, or forgotten. Darkness, in the biblical sense, is not only about suffering but about disorientation—when people no longer know where to turn or whom to trust. Isaiah reassures us that God does not abandon such places. Instead, God chooses them as the starting point for renewal, transforming despair into joy and oppression into freedom.
This promise finds its fulfillment in the Gospel of Matthew, where Jesus begins his public ministry not in Jerusalem, the religious center, but in Galilee—again echoing the lands named by Isaiah. Jesus’ first words are striking in their urgency: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Repentance here is more than feeling sorry for sin; it is a reorientation of life, a turning toward God and away from anything that keeps us trapped in darkness. The kingdom Jesus proclaims is not distant or abstract. It is already near, unfolding wherever people respond to God’s call.
That call becomes deeply personal in Jesus’ encounter with the fishermen. Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John are ordinary people engaged in ordinary work. Yet when Jesus says, “Come after me,” they leave their nets immediately. This detail challenges us. The nets represent security, routine, and identity. Following Jesus requires trust—the willingness to let go of what defines us so that we can receive a new purpose. The disciples do not fully understand where Jesus will lead them, but they respond with openness. Their example invites us to ask what “nets” we might be clinging to: habits, fears, ambitions, or comforts that prevent us from fully following Christ.
The second reading from Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians adds another layer to this call by addressing division within the Christian community. Paul appeals passionately for unity, reminding the Corinthians that they belong to Christ, not to particular leaders or factions. His words remain deeply relevant today. Division often arises when we lose sight of the heart of the Gospel and replace it with pride, competition, or a desire to be right rather than loving. Paul’s insistence that he was sent “to preach the gospel, and not with the wisdom of human eloquence” reminds us that faith is not about personal prestige or clever arguments, but about the transforming power of Christ’s cross.
Taken together, these readings challenge us to examine both our personal discipleship and our communal life. God’s light continues to shine in places of darkness today—in broken relationships, social injustice, spiritual emptiness, and personal doubt. Jesus continues to call ordinary people, including us, to follow him and to participate in his mission of healing and reconciliation. At the same time, Paul reminds us that following Christ necessarily draws us into unity with one another.
The Third Sunday of Ordinary Time calls us to listen again to Jesus’ invitation. It asks us to trust that God is already at work in the shadows of our lives and to respond with repentance, courage, and faith. By letting go of what binds us and committing ourselves to Christ and to one another, we allow God’s light to grow brighter—not only in our own lives, but in the world we are called to serve.